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Course Availability

This course is only available to trainees days after purchase.
It would need to be repurchased by the trainee if not completed in the allotted time period.
This course is no longer available.
You will need to repurchase if you wish to take the course again.

Description

Radiography provides veterinary practices with a vital diagnostic tool. The value of that tool, however, is directly related to the quality of the images obtained. Poor technique can result in missing a foreign body, bone cancer or a fracture. Congestion in the lungs - is it fluid or mucous? Masses? What about the radiograph of that swollen abdomen? Is the radiograph of sufficient diagnostic quality to reveal if it is ascites or an abdominal mass? Besides the risk of missing or misinterpreting a problem, poor radiographs cost the practice money. The cost of retakes in staff time can reduce the income from the procedure to almost nil. On a busy day, repeated takes can greatly increase stress to the team as well as to the patient. The ability to take quality radiographs is a combination of education and skill.

Many team members are given a cursory introduction that does not provide all the needed training. Although quality training requires an investment of both time and money, the benefits to the practice, the patient, the client, and the team greatly outweigh the cost of poor radiographic technique. Radiology: Developing Core Imaging Skills is a 6-week course that provides participants with the training needed to understand the fundamentals of the functioning radiographic systems, as well as safety concerns and exposure monitoring. It is recommended, although not required, that participants work in a practice to complete this course.

Objectives

On completion of this course the learner will be able to:

1. Differentiate between analog, computerized and digital radiography
2. Identify artifact and film and implement changes to eliminate
3. Describe transducers, image modes and how ultrasound images are produced
4. Identify radiation risks and implement mandatory safety measures
5. Compare and contrast proper positioning methods to obtain ideal radiographs
6. Apply non manual restraint and animal handling, so that the patient does not need to be manually restrained when being radiographed
7. Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of various positing aids available
8. List positioning guidelines to ensure production of good quality diagnostic radiographs
9. Identify normal radiographic anatomy of the abdominal and thoracic cavities
10. Properly and safely position a dog or cat for the various common positions, with an emphasis on where to measure, center the beam, where the borders are, and how to properly position, so that the body part is parallel to the film and both are perpendicular to the central ray

Dr Helen Sweeney is the owner of Elma Animal Hospital and Aquatic Veterinary Services of WNY. She has been in private small and exotic animal practice since receiving her DVM degree from the University of Georgia. Dr. Sweeney is a member of several national and regional professional organizations including AVMA, ARAV, AEMV, AAFV, WAVMA, NFVS, WNYVMA, and NYSVMS. She served as the President of the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society (NFVS), was selected for two terms as Chairman of AVMA's Aquatic Veterinary Medicine
Committee, and currently serves as the past President of the American Association of Fish Veterinarians, the AAFV, which she helped found.

Dr. Sweeney is a frequent speaker at national and international veterinary conferences on pet fish health. She is an instructor for AquaVet® (a summer Aquatic Animal medicine program for veterinary students associated with Cornell University college of Veterinary Medicine). She edited and co-authored 'Fundamentals of Ornamental Fish Health', published by Wiley-Blackwell late 2009. She has authored and co-authored several articles published in peer reviewed journals and texts and is a consultant for veterinary
Information Network. Dr. Sweeney was also featured in 'Fixing Nemo', an article on fish veterinarians published in the New York Times Magazine.

Dr. Sweeney has a special interest in public health and is the Veterinary Medical Consultant for the Buffalo Veterans Affairs Hospital animal research facility.

In her spare time, Dr. Sweeney enjoys photography and gardening. She has two fish ponds in her backyard, her own private oasis. Many other pets complete the 'zoo', including two mixed breed dogs, Phoenix and Gryphon; and 'Spike', a vintage tuxedo cat.

Current Accreditations

This course has been certified by or provided by the following Certified Organization/s: